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It’s easy to forget that movie characters need their wardrobes just as much as anyone else. Whether it’s a grand historical saga or a high-tech, futuristic thriller, the saying 'you are what you wear' applies to most movie stars—imagine Harrison Ford arriving on the Indiana Jones set in a bowler hat instead of his signature fedora! However, some of the backstories behind these iconic costumes are simply bizarre, as we’ll soon discover…
10. The Lord of the Rings
In Peter Jackson’s monumental adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s trilogy, Aragorn is portrayed as a rugged wanderer who probably hasn’t seen a shower in quite some time. This was exactly why Viggo Mortensen, the actor who portrayed him, took it upon himself to ensure his costume looked authentically worn and well-traveled.
Mortensen brought his costume home, then lived, breathed, and sweated in it until it appeared as weathered and worn as possible. He even mended the costume whenever it was necessary—just as Aragorn himself would have done during his travels.
“That’s the ultimate goal in costume creation,” says costume designer Ngila Dickson. “For the actors to engage with their costumes and truly make them their own, a part of their character.”
The actor’s dedication certainly paid off. While Mortensen delivered an exceptional performance, he also looked exactly like the character he was portraying.
9. Halloween 1978
Michael Myers has become a horror legend. The cold, knife-wielding villain of the Halloween slasher franchise, he is a figure straight out of nightmares—an emotionless, white-masked killing machine who begins by hunting babysitters and ultimately racks up a terrifying body count. Interestingly, his iconic mask was originally something quite innocent.
The infamous mask was discovered by Halloween editor Tommy Lee Wallace at a store on Hollywood Boulevard called Burt Wheeler’s Magic Shop. Surprisingly, it was originally a Captain Kirk mask from Star Trek.
To match the script's demand for a face that looked disturbingly human, Wallace modified the mask by enlarging the eye holes and giving the whole thing a spray-paint job in a ghostly blue-white shade. The result bore little resemblance to William Shatner, a change that director John Carpenter has since commented on as likely being for the best.
Myers wasn’t the only one to make do with a tight budget; scream queen Jamie Lee Curtis also had to provide her own wardrobe for the film, managing to spend just $100 at J.C. Penny.
8. Batman Returns 1992
For Catwoman's costume in Batman Returns, designer Mary Vogt devised a creative method to achieve that signature shiny effect. After Michelle Pfeiffer donned her iconic cat suit, large sponge brushes were used to coat her in a thick layer of silicone, giving the costume its unique, gleaming look.
The process was far from neat—Vogt recalled that Pfeiffer was drenched in silicone during the application. However, the result was well worth the mess, with the costume gleaming brilliantly, especially under the night lights. The costume team was especially pleased with how it exuded both elegance and an alluring edge, balancing the seductive and sophisticated perfectly.
Though it was chaotic behind the scenes, with silicone dripping everywhere, the final effect was undeniably stunning. The shiny suit captured the perfect balance of sleekness and sensuality, especially during the nighttime scenes, where the costume's fluidity and reflective quality created a mesmerizing visual.
7. Alien 1979
To create the chilling monsters in Ridley Scott's *Alien*, the costume designers went beyond traditional materials, incorporating parts from a Rolls-Royce, plasticine, and even vertebrae from dead snakes. They also utilized K-Y jelly and condoms to craft the perfect texture for the alien xenomorph.
Among the unique materials used for the alien’s design were K-Y jelly for its slimy saliva and shredded condoms, which were shaped to form the tendons in the creature’s jaw—an unsettling yet effective technique.
The K-Y jelly provided the alien’s unsettling saliva, while the shredded condoms helped form the tendons in its jaw. It's no wonder Sigourney Weaver was desperate to escape from such a disturbing creation.
6. *Tron: Legacy*
The long-awaited sequel to the 1982 cult favorite brought futuristic technology to the forefront. However, when it came to the iconic illuminated costumes, costume designer Christine Clark discovered that an old-fashioned technique was the most effective solution.
While researching special effects companies in Los Angeles, Clark came across Quantum Creation FX, who had developed a cutting-edge material used for Japanese security vests. This thin, flexible fabric turned out to be the perfect choice for the *Tron: Legacy* costumes.
The glowing effect of the suits was achieved by wiring them with lithium batteries that were embedded in the discs on the actors' backs. These batteries provided approximately twelve minutes of light. On the tech-savvy side, a remote monitoring station was set up on set to keep track of the suits and alert the team when the batteries were running low.
Typically on set, you hear commands like 'Sound speeding, camera speeding, action!' But for this film, they added a unique instruction: 'Light 'em up,' as Clark recalls.
5. *Coraline* (2009)
When it comes to stop-motion animation, it's all about the minute details. Not only did the team create a ninety-minute film by carefully positioning small figurines frame by frame, but Coraline’s tiny costumes were also meticulously hand-stitched.
The striking starry blue jumper Coraline wears was knitted by Althea Crome, who was tasked with designing and creating every item of clothing for the movie, from dresses to underwear. Depending on the complexity of the design, it took Crome anywhere from six weeks to six months to knit the jumpers for the film.
"I think knitters are often amazed by the tiny needles I use," says Crome. "Some are nearly as thin as a human hair." You can see her in action here.
4. The Wizard of Oz 1939
This is a legendary story from the world of cinema. When Buddy Ebsen first took on the role of the Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz—after initially being cast as the Scarecrow—he underwent a series of costume tests to ensure the perfect portrayal of his character.
Eventually, Ebsen donned white face paint mixed with aluminum dust. However, just nine days into the filming, he began experiencing severe symptoms like shortness of breath, cramps, and eventually could not breathe at all, leading to an emergency hospital visit where he was placed in an oxygen tent for two weeks. Medical tests later revealed that he had an allergic reaction to the aluminum dust in his makeup.
Ebsen was quickly replaced by Jake Haley, and his costume was altered (the aluminum was now mixed into the white paint instead of being applied on top). In a lighter moment, during scenes where Haley was supposed to be doused in oil, the crew opted to use chocolate sauce as it looked more appealing on film.
3. Saturday Night Fever 1977
In the late 1970s, John Travolta briefly became a style icon thanks to his form-fitting wardrobe in Saturday Night Fever.
It’s hard to imagine now, but when production for the film began, disco was rapidly losing its popularity, and Travolta had a difficult time finding appropriate attire for his character, the dance-loving Tony Manero.
Given the task of sourcing his own wardrobe, Travolta had to scour through boxes in the back of Greenwich Village shops to find the platform shoes and bell-bottom pants that his character required. The legendary white three-piece suit that most associate with Travolta in this role was purchased at a bargain price from a men's store in Brooklyn.
2. Edward Scissorhands 1990
Tight, squeaky leather. A voluminous, wild wig. And of course, the scissors. Johnny Depp was nearly unrecognizable in Tim Burton’s 1960s-set fairytale, where he plays a tragic, Frankenstein's monster-like character whose presence dramatically affects the lives of ordinary suburban families.
Although Depp’s costume appeared restrictive and uncomfortable, every measure was taken to alleviate his discomfort during those long days of filming. This included outfitting him with a special cooling suit designed to prevent overheating in the scorching Florida heat. Despite these precautions, the actor would still rush to cooling fans after each scene to bring his temperature back down.
In addition to latex and leather, parts of the costume were crafted from pieces of an old sofa from Tim Burton’s first apartment. It seems he truly believed there’s no art without a little suffering.
1. Grease 1978
One of the most iconic moments in film history: innocent Sandy (Olivia Newton-John) struts into a fairground, showcasing her dramatic transformation into a confident, black-clad beauty.
In reality, that legendary outfit was a nightmare for the actress. Her skin-tight pants were so form-fitting that she had to be sewn into them.
On top of that, Newton-John wasn’t allowed to use the restroom during filming, as doing so would require halting production while she was unstitched and then re-stitched. Now that’s dedication.
